Floor covering and method



Patented Aug. 21, 1934 noon o'ovsnnve AND METHOD ;James E.-Graham,Needham,

- Dedham, Mass.,

and Edwin M. Lines,

assignors to Bird & Son, Inc.,

' .East Walpole, Mass, a-corporation of Mana- .chusetts iNdDrawing. Application November o. 1933,

, T {Y'I'hisinventioh relates to a floor coverin of the hard-surfaced flexible type and method of makingfthe' same, and has, particularly to do with a resilient floor covering which has advantages and properties rictftound in. other hard Surfaced floor 1coveringss'uch asfelt base rugs andlinoleum,

1 The inventlon provides 'a hard-surfaced. flex- J lble'floorlcovering that is not only attractive in "its decoration but is extremely tough and durable, relatively; nonsaponifying and non water absorbent, as well as resistant to fats, oils, grease,

fturedecojnfonlice.ll'yIand be re'adyfor sale ,and use irraminimum .of'time', in fact within a pcriod of a day or two. In addition to theseprope f .ert'ies thel'fproduct of this'in'vention due to its novel 'Tci oinpo's ition and structure has a wear resistance not'iound in printed felt base floor cover- .'I ings sincethe wearing layer is formed from a m iasue and remotel thick and the decoration extends U ell into and'impr'egnates.the said wearfor ,"theirl wear+resistant qualities upon; .a few 'flcoat'slof pigmented paint including aprinted decoat or coatingsof transparent varnish, lacquer, or lthefliken Printeddinoleum is-in the samelpst 'due'fto ordinary usage. Inthe better grades linoleummixture being eithera plain co1or. vaiiiezatedor. mottled; or, as in inlaid linoleum, made from diiferent, colored mixtures applied in ".seiiarate areas.f With such. plastic material, powd it has not i been possible to obtain 0 ;lelicatedesignsv andejffects because ofthe dini- Icultyinworking m p d; mixtures in flnelines, ,nor, has it been practical-or possible commercialffly tricolor a substantial thickness of; the wearing layer of linoleum by ineans of :after-appliedcoloring, 'material or -dyes .because the linoleum,rnixtureadue to the waterproof and water-resistant;

character of the linoxyn binder will not permit .-the ingress of suchinksor dyes. The floor covering of this inventionembodies a wearinglayer of substantialthickness made from a novel plastic composition (as hereinafter more fully described). which is frictioned in layer form in situ as. it isapplied in substantial thickness to a'base or backing of woven .or felted sheet material. The plastic composition as hereinafter more fully tithe; noo'r covcring or this invention as dis .tinguishedjirom said' felt base floor coverings is 'notsimply up'onthe surface but, on the contrary;

861th aspirants.

sign, soinetimessupplemented by an additional.

' ...categoiy .a lidil he decorativeappearance is soon ,bfllinipliehrnl thecoloror pigment is added tov the be mentioned. particularly 7 Serial No ceases 14 Claims. (Chill- 67.9)

described comprises in its preferred form a mixture of what is essentially non-fibrous wood powder, that is, wood sofinely divided as to, as a practical matter. eliminate its fibrous characteristics, and binders, atleast one of said binders including as the essential constituent thereof, a cellulose ester,--nitro-cellulose being preferred .forthis purpose because of its abiity to produce a tough elastic layer and to cement or bond the wood powder, because of itshigh resistance to wear, and; because it makes an excellent bond with. any one. of various backing or reinforcing sented by these conditions has involved a long:

series of experiments and testing'of products. l Though it would seem that such a plastic, in-

cluding a waterproof binder as described, would neither be permeable nor receptive to a coloring ,dye because of the waterproofcharacter of the cellulose ester binder constituent as described,

we have found that with the combination of woodpowder and binder as herein described, the plastic .mixture has sufficient tenacity so that it can be frictioned upon and adhere to a backing, and still be sufilciently permeable to -dyes as to permit a coloring extending through or substantially through the vertical depth or thickness of the wearing layer by simply printing or otherwise applying. such dyes upon the exposed surface of the plastic composition after having been frictioned to the base as described.

. Following the coloring of the plastic mixture and the drying off of the dye solvent, there is applied and incorporated into the wearing layer, 0

as anessential constituent thereof, an additional or supplementary binder which serves to fill up :the pores in the dried plastic mixture and thus render the resultant product impermeable to liquids and still more firm and wear-resistant.

As an example of the manufacture of floor covering in accordance with this invention we give the following as the present preferred practice thereof. A suitable flexible backing or base is first prepared which preferably is an asphalt oil, wax or wax-like materials, resin, lacquer, or

saturated felt, but any suitable woven, felted or sheeted material may be employed. To one sureface of the basematerial is applied'an underthere is then applied a plastic mixture as follows (all parts being by weight):

-50 parts nitro cellulose (average viscosity 15-20 sec.) -75 parts trlcresyl phosphate M; solvent) 40-80 parts mineral pigment (usually whiteor neutral in color, though, if desired, theplastic composition may be colored as required by colored mineral pigment) 250-350 parts wood powder (substantially all passing a mesh screen, at least passing. a mesh screen, and a substantial portionpass ing a 200 mesh screen) U 100-150 parts ultra-cellulose. solvent (butylacetate, alcohol, etc.) This mixture is, by suitably driven rolls, frictioned in situ in layer form to the base to the thickness desired (say .0l5"-.030") and the product then dried from two to eight hours at 100F.

As the result of this drying the solvent passes oi! leaving the wood powder held together by the primary binder, thus providiinga very open;

and porous structure which will take up about am of its own weight of a liquid. n colored plastic material is employed, the layer may include a single color or several colors, the" latter giving to the frictioned layer before printing a- This may be marbleized or Jasp appearance. accomplished by depositing the differently colored plastics in the frictioning calendar.

Following the drying of the intermediate prodnot it is ready for the coloring or decorating step which may be done by printing onafiat bed print machine with the same type of print blocks as are commercially used for printing felt base rugs, but any method of applying color,

rotary or fiat bed, may be used. In.the.com-.;

The liquid color is ordinarily applied in an amount.

equal to about 60% of the dry weight of the wearing layer in its porous and liquid-permeable condition. The colored product is then dried, say for a period of from two to four hours in:a moderately heated oven, as a result of which, substantially all of the liquidcarrier of the dye is evaporated:

The succeeding operation is that .of filling up the voids or pores in the colored plastic mixture which still presents an open structure.

ing layer of a substantial amount of a binder material or materials, say in an amount approximately one half of the weight of the said colored and dried plastic mixture, of aliquid material adapted to set or harden, for example, drying the like, or a mixture of two or more of them. In this manner, the pores or voids in the previously applied plastic mixture in effect become saturated throughout its thickness by this afterapplied binder and the result is a very marked increase in durability and strength as Well as a greatly improved finish.

This. is an essential feature of the process andrincludes the application to the permeable wear- In practice, drying oils: such asflix'isoetl'" found" satisfactory andqth'ere is ordinarily incorporated therewith a. small amount or resinin order that the finished; product may present a: firmer: andharder: wear-resistant surface,- It

is also,contemplated thatitlierdyez(with-or.\without'. a solvent) may be. 'fl'rstirnixed wlth. the additional binder." and i applied; to :-the* partially completed'i wearing layer by -;the application thereto ofthe'coloredtbinder; 20-40 parts ester gum solution: gum and.

and Chinawood have bee n'i If. desired; order i-to1provide. aglossy finish,

at toplayer. or" surface: coating. of varnish or lacquer may be applied; thoughv it"; is not necessary, for-"the additional or; supplementarybinder, if i applied in sufilcient quantity, completely fills the pores so: as to present a water=impermeablesurface. and one .exhibitingan v attractive finish.

In. the. typical preferred product, the completed. wearing. layer. includes 40-50%-- wood powder; pigment, if desired (as. mentioned in theforegoing example), 10-20% initial binder,

1-3%' of color, and 30-40% of"the:after-applied supplementary or=fi1lerbinder; this table of-constituents beingmade withoutregard to the-presence or absence of a final finishingeoat of transparent varnish .or the like, which, if used,.may

thickness 1 formed from.- a plastic material adhesivelyunited thereto, said wearing-layer. consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely;

powdered wood, a relatively small amount of binder material-providing amorous body structure .coloredthrough at least a major portion of itsivertical depth, to present'a' design therein and with thepores thereof. filled with: a hardened.

binder material in aquantity in excessof said first mentionedabinder'material;

2. A hard-surfaced flexible floor coveringcomprising a base with a-wearingxlayer: ofsubstantial thickness formed from a.plastic material frictioned thereto, saidwearing layer consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely-powdered wood, a relatively smalLamount of bindermaterial providing" a; porous body;- structure col-- ored throughatlea'st' a majorportlonof its vertical depth, to present a design-therein-andwith the pores thereof filled 1 with a .hardened Lbinder materialin a quantityin excess. of said firstmenpowered wood, a relatively. smalls amount of? waterproof binder: material providing a; porous body structure colored to present a design therein with" the said: design. extending" substantially throughthe'vertical depth of saidlayer and. with the pores 1 thereof: filled: with" a hardened binder material.

4. A hard-surfaced. flexible floortcovering-comprising abase with a'wearinglayerzof substantial thickness 1 formed. from a. plasticv material frictioned thereto, said 'wearing layer :consistingessentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely pow= dered wood, a. relatively, small amount. of binder material providing a porous body-structure printed to present a colored design therein, extending through at least a major portion of the vertical 1,ov1,ose

excess of said first mentioned binder material.

5. A hard-surfaced flexible floor covering'comprising a base with a wearing layer oi. substantial .thicknes's formed from a plastic material adhesively united thereto, said wearing layer consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood, a relatively small amount of cellulose ester binder material providing a porous body structure colored to present a design therein, extending through at least a major portion 0! the vertical depth thereof, and and at the exposed surface thereof and with the pores thereof filled with a hardened waterproof binder material in addition to said first mentioned binder material.

8. A hard-surfaced flexible floor covering comprising a base with a wearing layer of substantial thickness formed from a plastic material adhesively united thereto, said wearing layer consisting essentially oi substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood, a relatively small amount of cellulose ester binder material providing a porous bocb' structure colored substantially throughout its vertical depth to present a design therein with a hardened binder material in a quantity substantially in excess of said first mentioned binder materlal.

a maior portion or the vertical depth thereof. and

' with the pores thereof filled with a linoxyn binder material in a quantity substantially in excess of said first mentioned'binder material.

8. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor coveringwhich consists in applying to a flexible base a wearing layer 01'. substantial thickness of plastic material and adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount of binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, coloring the wearing layer of said product with coloring material with the said coloring material extending through at least a major portion of the vertical depth of said wearing layer, and filling the pores of said wearing layer with additional hardening binder material. I

9. The method of making ,a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in frictioning to a flexible base a wearing layer of substantial thickness of plastic material and adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount 01' binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, coloring the wearing layer of the same to provide design therein with the said design extending through at least a major portion of the vertical depth of said wearing layer, and filling the pores of said wearinglayer with additional hardening binder material.

10. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in frictioning to a flexible base'a wearing layer of substane' tial thickness of plastic material and adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous,-

finely powdered wood and, a relatively small amount or a binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, coloring the wearing layer of the same by printing to provide a design therein with the said design extending substantially through the vertical depth oi! said wearing layer, and filling the pores of said wearinlgialxayer with additional hardening binder ma- 11. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in applying to a flexible base a wearing layer of substantial thickness 01 plastic material and adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount of cellulose ester binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, coloring the wearing layer of the same by printing a design thereon to provide design therein with the said printed design extending through at least a major portion of the vertical depth of said wearing layer, and filling the pores of said wearing layer with additional hardening binder material.

12. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in trictioning to a flexible base a wearing layer of substantial thickness of plastic material and thereby adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount of cellulose ester binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, and then applying thereto coloring and additional binding material to fill the pores thereof, with the coloring extending through at least a major portion 01 the vertical depth'oi said wearing layer.

13. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in frictioning to a flexible base a wearing layer of substantial thickness of plastic material and thereby adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount of a binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed,

and then applying thereto coloring and additional binding material to fill the pores thereof, with the coloring extending through at least a major portion of the vertical depth oi. said wearing layer.

14. The method of making a hard-surfaced flexible floor covering which consists in frictioning to a flexible base a wearing layer oi. substantial thickness of plastic material and thereby adhesively uniting the same thereto, said plastic material consisting essentially of substantially non-fibrous, finely powdered wood and a relatively small amount of a binder material, drying the said intermediate product thus formed, and then applying thereto coloring and additional binder material in excess of the amount of said first mentioned binder material to fill the pores thereof, with the coloring extending through at least a major portion of the vertical depth of said wearing layer.

JAMES E. GRAHAM.

EDWIN M. LINES. 

